Mantra 1
Sukta 56
सर्पेभ्यो रक्षणम्। मा नो देवा अहिर्वधीत् सतोकान्त्सहपुरुषान्। सम्यतं न वि ष्परद् व्यात्तं न सं यमन्नमो देवजनेभ्यः।।१।। नमोऽस्त्वसिताय नमस्तिरश्चिराजये । स्वजाय बभ्रवे नमो नमो देवजनेभ्यः
mā nó devā́ ahír vadhīt satókānt sahá-puruṣān | samyátam ná ví ṣpárad vyāttám ná sáṃ yáman námo devajanébhyaḥ ||1|| námo ’stv asitā́ya námas tiraścírājaye | svajā́ya babhráve námo námo devajanébhyaḥ
Slay us not, O Gods, let not the Serpent smite—us with our children, us with all our folk. As one held in, let him not dart abroad; as one whose jaws are gaping, let him be closed again. Homage be to the divine tribes. Homage—be it—to Asita; homage to Tirascirāja; to the self-born, to the brown one, homage, yea homage, to the divine tribes.
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often transmitted under Atharvan/Angiras lineages; specific r̥ṣi not stated in the provided excerpt)
Devata: Sarpa/Ahi (serpent-kinds) addressed through propitiation; gods invoked as restrainers
Chandas: Predominantly Anuṣṭubh (with Atharvanic cadence)
{"primary_rasa":"bhayankara","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_arc":"Fear of sudden attack → containment → calm through homage and order.","listener_experience":"Initial vigilance, then relief and steadiness; sense of being protected as a family unit.","intensity":6}